Curious Victims
by LittleMissAverage
Summary: Two best friends were exploring a high school they would attend someday, when they made an interesting discovery beneath the school. One thing led to another, and now they've found themselves the victims of a tragedy. And all because of their curiosity... (This is slightly AU-ish, but if you've read the manga then the events that happen later on will make more sense.)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: The Question Of "Where Are We"

Tears filled her eyes and threatened to pour down her face as she helplessly watched the events in front of her unfold. Voices were yelling, screaming, crying all around her, but it she couldn't seem to find her own feeble voice. She backed away from this... _thing _her friend had turned into. Why? Why was this happening? _Stop, _she mentally pleaded, _stop this, please! _She turned to run, but as she did so, the malicious person causing this terror grabbed her wrist with a devious smirk.

"Goodbye," he hissed in her ear.

The girl tensed up and waited for her inevitable fate, unanswered questions of "why" echoing in her head.

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><p><em>*A few weeks earlier...*<em>

A girl with long light brown hair sighed as she gazed up at the school she would attend one day. Eiko Fukuda, age thirteen, soon-to-be eighth-grader, was this girl.

"Eiko-chan~!"

She turned at toward the familiar voice, only to see a girl with medium-length dark brown hair running toward her. This girl, Jitsumi Anzai, age thirteen, also an almost-eighth-grader, was Eiko's best friend since they began middle school.

"Sorry I'm late, Eiko," Jitsumi apologized with a slight laugh once she reached her friend.

"Don't worry about it, I've only been here for what? Five minutes, maybe?" Eiko responded offhandedly.

"Well, let's go in," Jitsumi suggested.

The two friends entered the high school they would attend after eighth grade and began to explore. They chattered excitedly about what they had been doing throughout summer, how they wondered if they'd have classes together this year as well, and other common things for conversation.

"Where are your parents, Jitsumi-chan?" Eiko asked.

"They're with my cousin, since he's going into his second year here," Jitsumi explained. "What about yours?"

Eiko shrugged. "I walked here, you know, because I live like ten minutes away. I told them I'd be back before dinner."

"I wish I had easy-going parents like yours," Jitsumi pouted.

"Trust me, they're not 'easy-going'. It took me all day to convince them to let me go by myself," Eiko objected.

They both laughed a little at this. It was true, both of them had somewhat-strict parents, though Eiko's were known to be at least a bit less uptight.

"Hey, what's over there?" Eiko pointed over to a door hidden beneath a staircase.

"Hmm? I've never seen that before," Jitsumi commented.

The two girls approached the door with curiosity, only to find a sign saying "off-limits, do not enter" plastered on it.

"I think we should listen to the sign..." Jitsumi muttered, but her friend had other plans.

Eiko, who was already pushing open the surprisingly unlocked door, glanced over at her. "You're such a scaredy-cat, Sumi. C'mon, where's your sense of adventure?"

Jitsumi sighed after hearing the nickname that only Eiko called her, and, with much reluctance, she followed her best friend inside. It was dark, to say the least, and there were stairs leading down to who-knows-where.

"Eiko, this is a bad idea. What if someone finds us and we get in serious trouble?" Jitsumi whispered through the darkness.

"We'll be fine! Stop worrying about every little thing, Sumi!" Eiko chirped while skipping down the steps.

Yes, skipping. _She's treating this like we're on a walk through the park, _Jitsumi thought with a slight frown. Though, she had no choice but to follow her friend. There was no turning back now, right? When they finally reached the bottom of the steps, it was an understatement to say they were surprised by what they found.

"What _is _this place?!" Eiko exclaimed.

They were standing in what appeared to be a maze of corridors and halls that shone a polished, pristine white like they were from a hospital. Jitsumi tugged on the sleeve of Eiko's white T-shirt with a slightly frightened expression.

"This is weird, I've never seen a school with something like this! C'mon, Eiko, let's get out of here," she stated.

"No, this is interesting! You can leave, but I'm not," Eiko replied, shaking her friend off.

Jitsumi frowned. "I don't trust you by yourself."

"Same goes for you," Eiko chuckled before dashing off toward one of the hall's entrances.

"Eiko, wait up!" Jitsumi called, quickly dashing in the direction her friend had gone.

Loud, pounding footsteps resonated throughout the corridors, along with the bubbly laughter of Eiko and the nervous chuckles of Jitsumi. After a while of running through the halls, they stumbled upon a place that appeared to be a laboratory. They stopped in their tracks and stared at the strange equipment around them, eyes wide with curiosity and some apprehension.

"E-Eiko," Jitsumi began timidly.

"I have no idea," Eiko answered the unasked question of "where are we".

"Now I really think we should go," Jitsumi pointed out.

Eiko nodded slowly. "Yeah... That might be a good idea."

Though, before they could even turn around to head back, a masculine voice rang out.

"You shouldn't be down here, children," the voice snickered with a dark undertone.

Eiko froze in fear, and Jitsumi clutched to her best friend as if she were her lifeline. Suddenly, that vice grip on her arm vanished, and Eiko was filled with more worry than fear. Mustering enough courage to speak, she called out a shaky, "Jitsumi?" Slowly, she turned around, yet she never even caught a glimpse of who the mysterious person was before her vision turned to black.

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><p><strong>AN: Hi everyone! This is my first multi-chapter fanfic for this fandom, so please let me know what you think! Did I do a good job with the OCs? Is it overall okay? PLEASE let me know, I love both compliments and constructive criticism! Thanks for reading and...**

**Have an amazing day/night/whatever~**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Surely It's A Dream

When Eiko opened her eyes, she saw that she was no longer in that strange place beneath the school, and instead was in an even stranger place. _It's like a dream, _she thought to herself as she sat up, _so I must be dreaming, right? _With that logic, she decided to get up and search her surroundings. This place she had entered was unlike anything she had ever seen. It was as if time was nonexistent here, for nothing moved yet everything floated above the ground that just wasn't there. _How am I supposed to cross this gap, _she wondered while standing on the edge of the platform she had awoken on. Just as she was about to try the only option she could think of (jumping and praying that there was no gravity in the open spaces), someone spoke up from behind her.

"It's been a while since anyone was brought here," a feminine voice stated with a hint of sorrow.

Unlike the voice the two best friends had heard in the lab, this voice sounded caring and sweet with the feeling of loneliness and sadness mixed in. Eiko whirled around to face this person, now revealed to be a teenage girl clad in a black school uniform and a fluttering red scarf.

"Wh-Who are you?" Eiko stammered.

The other girl only shook her head slightly. "That's not important right now. You're worried about your friend, correct?"

"What? Is Jitsumi here too?" Eiko asked quickly.

"Hmm..." the unnamed girl began thoughtfully. "Ah, gomen*, but I'm afraid I can't tell you that... Though, I really do wish I could help you."

"Can you at least tell me where I am?" Eiko questioned.

"You're in a place that I'll never be able to leave... the Heat Haze," the scarf-girl answered quietly.

"Heat Haze?" Eiko echoed confusedly.

The mystery girl nodded once again, but said nothing. Eiko looked around herself for the second time to try to understand the meaning behind this name, since this place was neither hot nor hazy; yet when she veered her gaze back to where the other girl should've been, she was replaced by another female, this one much shorter and had extremely long, wavy black hair.

"So, you wish to understand the emotions of others?" the new girl inquired quite plainly.

Eiko was a bit taken aback by this. "How...? I-I mean, yeah, I, uh... I guess so."

This even more mysterious person nodded simply like the last girl, and before Eiko could say anything more, her vision was swallowed up by black once again.

* * *

><p><strong>*Gomen means "sorry" in Japanese (just in case someone doesn't know)<strong>

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><p><strong>AN: The way this fanfic works is basically each chapter switches it main focus from Eiko, to Jitsumi, and back. This one is clearly focusing on Eiko, so the next one will show what happened to Jitsumi. Anyway, they won't meet the members of the Dan until later after their abilities are revealed (yes, they have abilities), so please be patient. Like always, I hope you enjoyed and thanks so much for reading!**

**Have a wonderful day/night/whatever~**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Not Much Better

Jitsumi wasn't faring much better in this strange place she had woken up in.

"Eiko! Eiko, are you there?" she called hopelessly out at the surrounding nothingness.

She collapsed in exhaustion, her legs tired from walking for so long and her throat aching from yelling out futile things like her friend's name.

"So, you're worried about your friend too?" a sweet, feminine voice inquired from behind her.

Jitsumi staggered to her feet in surprise and saw a girl with a red scarf billowing around her. _Strange, _Jitsumi thought, _there's not even a slight breeze here, so how is her scarf moving like that? _

"I-Is Eiko here?" she stuttered wearily.

"I'm sorry. I can't say," the girl in a black school uniform lowered her head with a tiny sympathetic smile.

"Oh," Jitsumi couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice, she didn't even try, though she was happy to at least see another human being.

"I'm sure you'll find her soon," the scarf-girl reassured her, trying to look as positive as she could in this forsaken world.

"Really?" Jitsumi perked up with a hopeful glint in her chocolate-brown eyes.

The mystery girl nodded with another slight smile that seemed out-of-place here. Not only did it look foreign, but it also looked forced and pained. Jitsumi wanted to say something to make this strange girl not so sad, but she had no idea why she was sad in the first place. _If only I knew why, _she thought with a frown. Just then, the unnamed girl gave a slight wave, turned to face the other way, and walked off.

"W-Wait!" Jitsumi called, though she couldn't get herself to move from this spot. She was just so tired...

"You wish to know about the tragedies of others, correct?" a new voice questioned, also coming from behind like the first one.

Jitsumi whirled around, more than a little surprised to see another girl who was shorter than the first. It took her a moment to come back to her senses and realize she had to come up with an answer. "W-Well, I guess that's one way to word it..."

"I see," the new female muttered mostly to herself.

Without another word, Jitsumi's world was enveloped in darkness just like before she had entered this strange place.

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><p><strong>AN: Wow, it's been forever since I've updated this or posted anything honestly. It feels good to get back on Fanfiction, I really do enjoy all of my wonderful readers and supporters. I hope you liked this chapter, and as always...**

**Have an awesome day/night/whatever~**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Gleaming Red Eyes

"Ow, my head..." Eiko mumbled groggily as she sat up and rubbed her throbbing skull.

Once the blurriness had faded from her vision, she saw she was back in the strange lab she and Jitsumi had found. Speaking of which...

"Sumi! Sumi!" Eiko called out as she scrambled to get to her feet, tripping herself about five times in the process. She scanned the room, but couldn't find her friend. "Jitsumi! Jitsumi, where are you?!"

Just as she was about to run out the door to search for her best friend, the very same person she was looking for walked through the doorway.

"Keep your voice down, I don't want that weird guy to come back!" Jitsumi hissed.

Eiko sighed in relief and smiled despite the circumstances. "I was worried about you, Sumi. Especially when you let go of my arm, because I knew you'd never be brave enough to do that."

"Hey!" Jitsumi sounded and looked offended, but a moment later she shrugged simply. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

Eiko giggled softly to herself. "So, how about we get out of this creepy place?"

"I'm all for it, but I've been searching for the exit for close to twenty minutes now," Jitsumi replied.

"Eh? I was out that long?" Eiko questioned in surprise.

"Yep. I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't," Jitsumi explained. Then, she muttered inaudibly, "I thought you were dead..."

"Hmm?" Eiko hummed in a questioning way.

"Ahah, nothing, Eiko-chan! I was just a little worried, that's all," Jitsumi somewhat-lied.

It was just then that the two girls noticed each other's... peculiar eye colors.

"Oh my god, your eyes are red!" they both yelled at the same time, pointing to each other with wide eyes.

It was true, Jitsumi's typically chocolate-brown eyes were a bright red color, and Eiko's naturally hazel ones were now the same red hue.

"Wh-Why are they like this?!" Eiko asked with fear in her voice.

"I don't know!" Jitsumi exclaimed as she covered her eyes with her hands.

Eiko took a deep, albeit a bit shaky, breath to calm herself (which proved to be slightly ineffective). "Okay, we... we just need to stay calm. We'll figure this out, right? Right?"

"Are they going to be red forever?!" Jitsumi practically shouted her question.

"Sumi..." Eiko began.

"What am I supposed to tell my parents? I have _red eyes_!" Jitsumi continued to rant.

"Sumi," Eiko was beginning to get annoyed by her friend.

"Why are they even red?! Why not a more normal color?! Like... purple!" Jitsumi rambled even more.

"Sumi!" Eiko shouted.

Jitsumi stared at her best friend in surprise, not really expecting Eiko to yell at her.

"We need to stay calm! Or, at least, as calm as we can," Eiko stated, though her feeble voice gave away her own fear.

"Stop acting like you're tougher than you actually are, it's not good for you," Jitsumi berated her somewhat bluntly.

"Well, if I panic too we're never going to get anywhere!" Eiko snapped.

Jitsumi was quiet for a few moments. She knew her friend was right, it seemed like Eiko was always right or had some kind of point, but she still wished Eiko wouldn't keep her fears to herself for her sake.

"Let's just get out of here," Jitsumi said softly before exiting the room.

Eiko watched her companion leave, yet she merely stood there with a pang of guilt. _Was I too harsh on her, _she wondered. With a sigh, she exited the room as well and soon caught up to Jitsumi.

"Hey, Sumi-"

"You don't have to tell me I'm overreacting, I already know that," Jitsumi interrupted bitterly.

"I wasn't going to say that," Eiko objected with a frown. "I wanted to apologize for yelling at you. Both times."

"It's fine..." Jitsumi mumbled.

Eiko didn't know why, but she somehow knew that Jitsumi was still terrified of their discovery, and also that she was still upset from the interactions that previously occurred. Though, oddly enough, Eiko could feel these emotions as if they were her own bubbling up inside her.

"You're lying, it's not fine," Eiko pointed out firmly.

"How do you know?" Jitsumi asked skeptically.

"I'm not sure... but you're scared out of your mind, to the point that you want scream, right?" Eiko responded.

Jitsumi was a little taken aback by this, but tried not to show it; she said nothing.

"I think this has something to do with my eyes. I mean, before they were red I could never figure out how people felt unless it was completely obvious, but now it's really clear to me. I can even feel how you feel right now," Eiko continued.

"Wow, really?" Jitsumi inquired.

Eiko nodded with a half-smile.

"I wonder what my eyes can do!" Jitsumi chirped in a childish way, tapping the place beside her right eye thoughtfully.

"We'll just have to wait and see," Eiko commented.

After what seemed like forever (but was probably close to ten minutes) the two girls located the staircase they had come down. They bounded up the steps, never looking back... and never noticing the pair of glinting red eyes watching them go.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And Eiko's power is revealed! Hmm... what will Jitsumi's ability be? I guess you'll have to keep reading to find out~ ;)**

**Have a wonderful day/night/whatever~**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: If It'll Block The Gazes

Jitsumi now led the way as she searched for her parents, who seemed to have left the school.

"That's weird..." she muttered to herself.

"Maybe they assumed you were going to hang out with me at my house," Eiko suggested hopefully, unable to push away her own nagging sense of doubt.

Jitsumi shook her head with a sigh. "I don't think so... but maybe you're right. Anyway, let's just head back to your house and see if they try to call me."

The duo of best friends exited the school and strolled along the sidewalk. It was starting to get late, so many people were on their way home, making the streets crowded and hard to navigate through. Jitsumi glanced over at Eiko, who was unusually quiet.

"Hey, Eiko, are you okay?" Jitsumi questioned.

"I-I'm fine... There's just so many people..." Eiko trailed off and rubbed her eyes with discomfort.

"Is something wrong?" Jitsumi asked, now concerned. "Crowds don't typically bother you."

"My eyes..." Eiko mumbled wearily.

Now Jitsumi understood; Eiko's new-found ability was acting up and was most likely overwhelming her with emotions. Yet, no matter how much she wanted to, Jitsumi couldn't do a thing to help. Well, maybe...

"C'mon, Eiko," she suddenly blurted and grabbed said girl's wrist, dragging her off toward the line of shops among the streets.

"Where are we going?" Eiko inquired with curiosity.

"I have an idea," Jitsumi replied simply.

She led them to a clothing store with reasonable prices, all while trying to remember how much money she had with her.

"Alright, here's my plan," Jitsumi began while letting go of her friend. "Maybe if we get something to block your eyes a bit, like a hoodie or something, then you might be able to get through the crowds!"

Eiko smiled faintly. "Arigato, Sumi."

"No need to thank me," Jitsumi waved offhandedly. Then, she clapped her hands together before pointing toward the racks of various clothing. "Now, go find something and we'll meet back here by the front desk!"

Eiko nodded in compliance, scurried around the store, and sifted through the different racks. It must've been a while, because by the time she settled on a suitable outfit it was already dusk. Eiko approached Jitsumi (who was waiting by the front desk just like she said), both girls with clothes in their arms.

"You got stuff too?" Eiko questioned as she set her outfit on the counter.

"What, you thought you were the only one getting a new look?" Jitsumi joked, doing the same thing with her outfit of choice before paying for both.

Surprisingly, she still had some money to spare. They both agreed to change into their new clothes, and whoever got done first would wait for the other. So, they went into the dressing rooms to do as they planned.

Eiko exchanged her casual outfit of before for a simple gray pullover, lime green pleated skirt, and gray high-tops with lime green designs. She decided to leave the criss-crossed black bobby-pins that held back the left side of her fringe just for some accessories.

Jitsumi, on the other hand, was now clad in a scarlet and creme striped hooded tank top, black leggings with short jean shorts on top, and scarlet sneakers.

When the two girls met up once again, they smiled at each other's newest looks.

"Those clothes suit you, Sumi," Eiko complimented.

"Thanks. You look pretty good yourself, Eiko," Jitsumi responded.

They laughed a bit, then left the shop. Jitsumi's plan wasn't a total success, for Eiko still felt a bit woozy from all the mixing emotions, yet it did help to ease things a little. The duo continued walking as the sky dimmed significantly, now promising that they wouldn't make it home before dark.

"My parents are going to kill me," Eiko groaned, tugging at her hood.

"You think you have problems, what about my parents? They don't even know I left," Jitsumi retorted.

"Yeah..." Eiko chuckled lowly at their misfortune, but she looked away from her friend as she did so. "Hey, Sumi?"

"Yeah?"

"Something's been bothering me ever since I woke up in that place..."

"What is it, Eiko?"

Eiko lowered her head to hide her worried expression. "What happened to us?"

And so, under the blinking lights of street lamps, two friends pondered over what had been their crude fate.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I really like this story, so I hope you all do too. I have some interesting things planned for later chapters, and yes I know, it _is _taking them forever to meet the gang. But don't worry, it'll happen soon enough. ;)**

**Have a wonderful day/night/whatever~**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: An Unfolding Tragedy

They were no longer walking after they had realized something: they had both had dreams about that strange place refered to as the "Heat Haze", and they had both seen the same girls in their dreams.

"What if something truly bad happened?" Eiko began with worry. "What if we were out for days? Or.. what if..."

"Eiko?" Jitsumi mumbled softly.

"Yes?" Eiko responded.

"I don't know why... but I think we died," Jitsumi continued.

"What? Don't be ridiculous, Sumi! We couldn't have died, we're alive and breathing right now!" Eiko exclaimed.

"But think about it, Eiko!" Jitsumi practically yelled. "That weird world, the girl with the red scarf, what she said to us, and the person who wanted to know what we wished for... It makes sense, doesn't it?"

Eiko was silent. She had no idea how to respond to something like that, simply no words would form in her temporarily dysfunctional mouth.

"You think I'm crazy, don't you?" Jitsumi muttered.

"I always think you're crazy, but that's why we're friends," Eiko replied once she found her voice. She placed a hand gently on Jitsumi's shoulder and gave her a reassuring, albeit a little forced, smile. "Don't worry, we'll figure this whole mess out, but we did not die, alright? Don't say things like that."

Jitsumi nodded. "Gomen, Eiko-chan..."

"No need for apologies. Now, let's keep going," Eiko stated.

Jitsumi nodded, and they continued making their way through the dimly lit streets. They walked in comfortable silence, all while their minds were racing with similar thoughts of "what now". Suddenly, Jitsumi spotted something out of the corner of her eye, and -without a moment to spare- she held out her arm to stop Eiko from walking any further.

"Sumi, wha-"

But she never got to finish her sentence, for a truck sped past them, not even three feet from where they were. Had they not noticed it in time...

"That was close," Jitsumi sighed.

Just then, they heard an ear-splitting scream, the screeching of brakes, a loud _thump _of two objects colliding, then only silence. All it took was for the two girls to exchange worried glances before they were sprinting toward where the sounds had resonated from. When they arrived at the source, it took everything in them not to scream at the scene in front of them. It appeared that there had been some sort of accident involving the truck from before and a young girl who looked about their age, with a boy no older than her standing in stunned silence with eyes wide with tears and pure shock.

"What happened?" Jitsumi breathed quietly.

Eiko shook her head then hurried over to the boy. "Are you alright? What happened here?"

The boy never looked away from the tragedy in front of him, and he only uttered a single, quivering word. "Hiyori..."

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><p><strong>AN: OMG WE'RE FINALLY MEETING A KAGEPRO CHARACTER YAAAYYYYY~ It definitely took long enough, but hopefully the wait was worth it. Trust me, next chapter we will be dealing with a very upset Hibiya Amamiya. Yes, we will. *nods as I type***

**Have a wonderful day/night/whatever~**


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